The 13 Best BlockBusters of 2015
[In Ascending Order] Big budgets, global-wide releases, genre films with mass appeal, and just there to entertain young and old alike. Something a bit different from the usual as I prep up the overall Best and Worst of 2015 before the Oscars.
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- DirectorJoss WhedonStarsRobert Downey Jr.Chris EvansMark RuffaloWhen Tony Stark and Bruce Banner try to jump-start a dormant peacekeeping program called Ultron, things go horribly wrong and it's up to Earth's mightiest heroes to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plan.I wasn't too fond of the first "Avengers": too many 'fanboy' moments. This one is a real film, with real characters, real stakes and a real menacing villain without actually condescending too much to becoming just another 'fanboy' film, and for that, Joss Whedon's successful effort to improve over the first has to be commended.
- DirectorMichael MannStarsChris HemsworthViola DavisTang WeiA furloughed convict and his American and Chinese partners hunt a high-level cybercrime network from Chicago to Los Angeles to Hong Kong to Jakarta.Michael Mann's ("Heat", "Collateral") latest film may not be the most groundbreaking in terms of plot development and character, but it is an extremely skillful and exciting thriller, taut and disciplined, and bursting with tension at the seams. It is a very topical film - wrapping an ages-old race-against-time tale with a premise ripped straight from today's headlines, throwing Thor, Wang Lee Hom, the always welcome Viola Davis and the gorgeous Tang Wei, and even some Indonesians and Malaysians into the cyberhacker-driven mix. It's preposterous, but if 131 pulse-pounding minutes is what you're after, and you're buying what Mann is selling, he's not shortchanging you.
- DirectorBaltasar KormákurStarsJason ClarkeAng Phula SherpaThomas M. WrightOn May 10, 1996, mountain guides Rob Hall and Scott Fischer combine their expedition teams for a final ascent to the summit of Mount Everest. With little warning, a storm strikes the mountain and the climbers must now battle to survive.Baltasar Kormákur's sincere recreation of the 1996 Everest disaster is plagued by a clunky screenplay from the "used-disaster-movies-cliches" store and bad music timing, but redeems itself with satisfying performances, a well-handled dramatic shift in the third act, and an awesome, truly spectacular sense of scale and adventure in capturing the real star of the show, the king of mountains itself, in all its glory and fury that is well worth the price of an IMAX 3D ticket.
- DirectorSam MendesStarsDaniel CraigChristoph WaltzLéa SeydouxA cryptic message from James Bond's past sends him on a trail to uncover the existence of a sinister organisation named SPECTRE. With a new threat dawning, Bond learns the terrible truth about the author of all his pain in his most recent missions.Secret agent James Bond 007 returns for his 24th outing with a plot that leaves quite a bit to be desired and a bloated script suffering from Marvelitus-Cinematicus-Universitis-building, but the film's gigantic action sequences more than makes up for it, with mammoth and outrageous set pieces that harken back to the bombastic glory days of Bonds past (especially Brosnan and Moore), and a very game Daniel Craig in his fourth outing channeling his inner Roger Moore; he seems to be verily enjoying himself in the role and even has some chemistry with French sex bomb Léa Seydoux and the always reliable Christoph Waltz as the villain, though I wanted more from the latter. Returning director Sam Mendes keeps the film running and doesn't overstay its 148-minute length except in its very last moments, but the franchise continues strong without undue embarrassment.
- DirectorJaume Collet-SerraStarsLiam NeesonEd HarrisJoel KinnamanMobster and hit man Jimmy Conlon has one night to figure out where his loyalties lie: with his estranged son, Mike, whose life is in danger, or his longtime best friend, mob boss Shawn Maguire, who wants Mike to pay for the death of his own son.The latest Liam Neeson actioner is a superior genre film. It contains most of the cliches I can't stand in action movies, and does them very well in a good one. Hard-hitting action sequences are underlined by strong character foundations and ultra-masculine performances by Neeson and the great Ed Harris, proving once again why he is still a go-to actor for convincing villainous roles with depth. Taut, tense and refreshingly violent, this is Neeson's true action follow-up to the first "Taken" that I've been waiting for this whole time.
- DirectorColin TrevorrowStarsChris PrattBryce Dallas HowardTy SimpkinsA new theme park, built on the original site of Jurassic Park, creates a genetically modified hybrid dinosaur, the Indominus Rex, which escapes containment and goes on a killing spree.Now here's a pleasant surprise, a sequel that doesn't short-change its audience and leaves them smiling with satisfaction once the credits roll. With enough genuine thrills to fill a dozen blockbusters (not two dozen, "Mad Max" already took care of that), and enough albiet recycled dino fan-service to please the nostalgic fans, greenhorn director Colin Trevorrow proves his adept handling of big budget summer fare, and he does it well. Now all he has to work on is a better plot.
Bottom line: this is the best since the first. - DirectorJ.J. AbramsStarsDaisy RidleyJohn BoyegaOscar IsaacAs a new threat to the galaxy rises, Rey, a desert scavenger, and Finn, an ex-stormtrooper, must join Han Solo and Chewbacca to search for the one hope of restoring peace.This movie was a lot of fun; there's a lot of crowd-pleasing moments that definitely evoked the joy of being a child or young teenager whisked away on a grand adventure. There's wonderful, fantastical creature designs and strange new worlds to explore. The comedic banter between the characters are hilarious minus the cheese. The action is grand, bombastic and loud as J.J. Abrams does. And there's a nice tinge of darkness lurking underneath this all that brings an emotional core to the film. Yet... the film suffers from a rushed plot and too much "fan-servicing", sacrificing part of the heart and soul that made the original trilogy great films. You'll know it when you see it. But in terms of popcorn movies, this one is kinda old school and I appreciate it.
- DirectorGuillermo del ToroStarsMia WasikowskaJessica ChastainTom HiddlestonIn the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider. Trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds - and remembers.On one hand, the plot is kinda thin and purposely reminiscent of the Hammer horror films, including the overwrought melodrama. On the other hand, this film looks and sounds so good, you'd want to stay and soak up everything visionary Guillermo Del Toro ("Pan's Labyrinth", "Hellboy", "Pacific Rim") throws at you - from its spookily blood-drenched atmosphere to its amazing production design and art direction - the house and ghosts are astounding sights to behold, especially in IMAX - it is a slavish love letter to Gothic horror that, frankly, could've been more.
- DirectorGuy RitchieStarsHenry CavillArmie HammerAlicia VikanderIn the early 1960s, CIA agent Napoleon Solo and KGB operative Illya Kuryakin participate in a joint mission against a mysterious criminal organization, which is working to proliferate nuclear weapons.This is the movie "Kingsman" tried to be - a fun, hypnotically stylish and super sexy, super smooth spy film that doesn't go too over the top and oozes swinging '60s cool the moment the studio logos come onscreen - aided by the supercool suaveness of Henry Cavill (sporting a mean James Bond swagger) and the aloof toughness of Armie Hammer; they both play off each other quite well actually. The plot is nothing new and it may be just an exercise in style by director Guy Ritchie ("Snatch", "Sherlock Holmes"), but what an exercise (and style) it is, seeing a filmmaker firing on all cylinders. And man, what a groovy soundtrack.
- DirectorPeyton ReedStarsPaul RuddMichael DouglasCorey StollArmed with a super-suit with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, cat burglar Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, pull off a plan that will save the world.The final entry in Marvel's Phase II of the Cinematic Universe is a smart move for the comic-book film juggernaut - it ditches the big-scale heroics already bestowed upon by "Age of Ultron" and becomes an all-out comedy. Or rather, it goes for a low-key heist caper that is at times very, very funny, sometimes sweet, a lot of wonky and weird, and at times all of the above, anchored by Paul Rudd's extremely likable and charming portrayal of the miniscule superhero. And yet, the film can't quite leave the shadow of what could've been if original director Edgar Wright hadn't left the project. But you know what? This is just fine. Stay tuned for two post-credits scenes, though.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsMatt DamonJessica ChastainKristen WiigAn astronaut becomes stranded on Mars after his team assume him dead, and must rely on his ingenuity to find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive and can survive until a potential rescue.Merely a year after the lazy "Exodus: Gods and Kings" and Sir Ridley Scott ("Alien, "Blade Runner", "Gladiator") bounces back doing what he does best: science fiction. Or rather, just science, because where's the fiction? Everything you see on screen is plausible and logical, down to the technical and scientific attention to detail slavishly and joyously crafted by Scott and writer Drew Goddard ("The Cabin in the Woods"), to the nitty-gritty human dilemmas that plague such a situation, even the (unexpectedly hilarious) jokes. Scott's genius here is not demonising this survival film with overdone angst and pontificating contemplation, but rather embraces the entire film with a sheer "gee-whiz" spirit that glorifies science and humanism for the greater good, and does a hell of a job making science seem fun, in big part to star Matt Demon's charming and captivating performance.
- DirectorPete DocterRonnie Del CarmenStarsAmy PoehlerBill HaderLewis BlackAfter young Riley is uprooted from her Midwest life and moved to San Francisco, her emotions - Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness - conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house, and school.PIXAR's latest entry is a bundle of sheer joy to watch for all ages and genders, bursting with ingenuity and strokes of mild genius with its concept of emotions coming to life in the mind of a girl, refreshingly not shortchanging on its emotional core, themes, hilarity and plenty of heart that PIXAR has been renowned for in its earlier days. After an underwhelming five years, this is the one that breaks its creative slump.
- DirectorGeorge MillerStarsTom HardyCharlize TheronNicholas HoultIn a post-apocalyptic wasteland, a woman rebels against a tyrannical ruler in search for her homeland with the aid of a group of female prisoners, a psychotic worshiper and a drifter named Max.After two decades of shredded cuts, PG-13 tameness and CGI parading as action, this is it, folks, the real deal, and so much more. "Mad Max: Fury Road" is the best action film of the decade so far, and one of the very best I've ever seen in my lifetime. Forget "The Avengers", this is why I love the movies. After 12 years of waiting (and 30 years for the franchise) Dr. George Miller has returned from the action Olympiad to outdo himself once again and rewrite the textbook of action filmmaking. An instant action classic, up there with the first "Die Hard" and "Terminator 2". Pure pedal-to-the-metal adrenaline-fueled insanity; it's the mother of all chase movies. Tom Hardy fits Mel Gibson's shoes as the titular survivor with ease and Charlize Theron puts in a strong sense of humanism amidst the urgently chaotic yet mind-blowingly spectacular marriage of amazing action choreography, silent-film simplicity ala Buster Keaton, Road-Runner/Wile-E-Coyote cartoonish sensibilities, jaw-dropping stunts, costume, vehicle and production design, vivid cinematographic vistas, mass vehicular carnage and an overall embracing of all of these with an extremely admirable headlong zeal and affection. A LOT of effort went into this movie, and it has paid off brilliantly. Bravo, Dr. Miller, thank you for teaching these Hollywood bozos how to deliver the perfect summer blockbuster.